The University of Akron Athletics
Women's Tennis Names Assistant Coach
July 30 | Women's Tennis
– University of Akron head tennis coach Jeffrey
Wyshner announced on Monday the hiring of Wissal Ben
Khalifa as the program's new assistant coach. Ben Khalifa joins
the Zips after spending the previous year as a graduate assistant
at Jacksonville University.
At various times over the last three years, Ben Khalifa has worked
at the prestigious Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai, Calif. During that
time she served as an instructor, a residential director and as a
marketing and admission director.
Ben Khalifa earned a bachelor of science degree in 2003 from Berry
College in Mount Berry, Ga. While at Berry, she played at the
number one position and led the team to a top-five national ranking
and also achieved a top-20 NAIA national singles ranking. She was
recognized as an All-American Scholar-Athlete.
Before transferring to Berry at the start of her junior year, Ben
Khalifa helped Coastal Carolina University to a Big South
Conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA Division I
Women's Tennis Championships. For her efforts on the tennis court
and in the classroom, she was named to the Big South Conference
Presidential Honor Roll.
"We are very fortunate to have someone of Wissal's playing and
coaching experience joining our program this year," Wyshner said.
"She has played and coached at top levels. Having her available to
work one-on-one with players both during individual and team
practices will be a huge benefit to their development. Furthermore,
her experience with going to an American school after growing up
overseas, and having some fluency in four languages, should help
our international student-athletes adjust more easily to the
University."
After finishing her undergraduate work in 2003, Ben Khalifa
completed a masters of business administration from Berry College
in 2005. At Akron, she is pursuing a masters in educational
technology.
Born in Paris, France, Ben Khalifa was a top junior player in both
France and Tunisia, home country of her parents. She spent her last
three years of high school on scholarship at the Palmer Tennis
Academy in Tampa, Fla.
